USHR Comments On New York Emergency Regulations For Hemp Products

Today, the U.S. Hemp Roundtable submitted comments in response to the emergency regulations for cannabinoid hemp products issued by the New York Office of Cannabis Management (“OCM”) published last month. As we reported, there is a 60-day period from publication for public comment and the Roundtable committed to being first in line, particularly in strong opposition to the arbitrarily low THC limits.

While the OCM claims that this regulation is intended to address the proliferation of unsafe, unregulated intoxicating hemp products that are often available to minors – a mission with which we strongly agree – this regulation would spell the end of non-intoxicating, full-spectrum hemp cannabinoid products in the Empire State. 

We are especially concerned with the regulation’s 1 milligram per serving and 10 milligram per package limits for total THC, as well as the lack of an ample transition period to allow hemp cannabinoid businesses to come into compliance with the regulation. These regulations would have a devastating impact on New York farmers and small businesses, serving as an unworkable model for the rest of the nation. 

State officials who spoke with our General Counsel said they expect all hemp products that are non-compliant with the regulations (i.e., higher than 1 mg THC/serving) to immediately be removed from shelves, although there is no indication of the timing of potential enforcement actions. Our comments strongly recommend a delay in implementation.  

We encourage industry stakeholders and Hemp Supporters in New York State to send your own comments to the OCM using the email linked here and below. Remember, there’s just a short window for public comment, so send yours today! 

Visit our State Action Center to see active campaigns across the country!

Check out the latest hemp and CBD updates from across the states!

• 
  Roundtable Roundup: Ohio Bill Would Ban Full Spectrum Hemp, Proposed Illinois Hemp Amendments Raise Concerns on Testing and Transport Restrictions
  Ohio Unfortunately, as we predicted a few weeks ago, the Ohio Senate introduced a bill—SB 326—which would ban all full spectrum hemp products. Specifically, products that contain more than 0.5mg of …
• 
  Hemp Industry News: U.S. Hemp Authority Webinar Recording, International Hemp Trip, and a USDA Hemp Grant
  We made it! Our USHA webinar went off without a hitch. With over 100 attendees, this was our most successful webinar to date.  Chris Fontes provided an excellent background of …
• 
  Roundtable Roundup: Updates in Georgia, Florida, Ohio, Louisiana and Tennessee
  Georgia Last month, the Georgia Department of Agriculture proposed changes to existing rules for hemp products, as well as a proposed new rule for consumable hemp products. While many of the changes to the …